Rotary machine.



1. A. Hamme. ROT/IRI.MACHINE. l APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2 1. I9I6.

PatentedAug, 7, 1917.

I 2 SHEETS-Sniff 1.

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v J. A. FLEMING.

ROTARY MACHINE. APPLlcATIoN FILED luNE 27. 191e.

1,235,786. Famed Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

y ffii [4 f f- //'ll ...zw/AQ@ JAMES A. FLEMING, O1? LOS ..ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

Application led June 27, 1916. Serial No. 106,259. "L

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that L'JAMEs A. FLEMING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Rotary Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rotary machines which are used to pump or compress iiuids, or which are adapted to utilize the expansive force of steam, air, or internal exploysions, as a prime mover.

In the following s eciication and the drawing, I have descri ed and illustrated a` illustrative purposes only:

Figure l is an end elevation of my inven` tion, the compressor being shown in section on a plane represented by the line @c1-w1 of Fig. 4, and viewed in the direction of the arrows. v

Fig. 2 -is a side view of a portion of the same machine.

Fig. 3 is a section on a plane represented by a line wB-ms of Fig. 2, viewed 1n the direction of the arrows.

. Fig. 4 is a section on a plane represented by the line :v4-w* of Fig. 3, this plane bemg viewed in the directionofl the arrows.

Broadly considered, the invention consists of a prime mover 11 and a pump 12. A casing 13 is common to both the prime mover 11 and thecompressor 12, this casing being provided with feet 14 upon which 1t rests and having a central cylindrical opening 15 formed therein. Located in the cyllndrical opening 15 is a rotor 16, this rotor also being common .jto both the prime mover and the compressor.

Secured tothe 'casing 13 on the intake end` of the engine is an end plate 17, b est shown in Fig. 4, this end plate extendmg down and making a gas tight ]oint withl anend flange 18 formed on the rotor 16. Secured I to the casing 13 on the pressure end of the compressor 12 is an .end plate 19, this end plate 19extending down and making a gas tight joint with the rotor 16 by means of `flange being provided with three intake ports .22 equally spaced around the circumference thereof.

. Secured to the rotor 16 are three pistons 23, these pistons having their forward ends inclined as shown at 24 andbeing of such a size that vthey make a tight closure withthe inner surface of the cylindrical opening 15.A The three pistons 23 are equally spaced around the circumference of the rotor and are immediately in advance ofthe intake ports 22.

Sliding in slots formed in projections 25 of the casing 13 are gate valves, there being eight of these gate valves arranged in two sets of four each, one set 26 serving as gate valves for the prime mover 11 and one set 27 serving as gate valves for the compressor 12. Thesegate valves are adapted to form a tight closure with the rotor 16, and they are moved in and out by meanspf roller bars 28, these roller bars being forced downwardlyby means of com ression springs29 carried in brackets 30 of the projections 25, the roller bars 28 being moved in and out by means of cams .31, these cams having grooves 32 therein in which rollers 33 areI free to roll, the rollers .33 being carried on suitable "bearings on either end of the roller bars 28. The cams- 31 and the rotor 16 are secured by means of keys 34 and 35 to a shaft 36, the shaft 36 turningfreely in bearings 37 which are carr ried on extensions of the feet 14 and are therefore secured in iixed relation to-the casing 13. Formed in the plates 17 at four points equally distant about the circumference thereof, are fixed intake ports 38, each of these intake ports being connected by means of a nipple 39 with an intake manifold 39. Seated in each of the nipples39 is an intake valve 40, this valve being normally held on its seat by means of a compression spring 41 and serving to' prevent any transmission of pressure from the intake port 38 to the manifold 39. The fixed intake p orts 38 are so located that they are close to and ahead of the gate valves 26 and ormed on the top 27 when the gate valves are in engagement with the rotor 16. Upening into the space inside the cylindrical opening 15, immediately adjacent or in front of the ports 38, are,fuel injection pipes 42, each of these fuel injection pipes being provided with a.

check valve 43 to prevent any flow of pressure outwardly from the cylindrical opening 15, all of the check valvesl 43 being connecte to a common fuel supply pipe 44. Located in the walls of the casing 13, close tol the fuel injection pipes 42, are spark plugs 45, these spark plugs being connected through walls of the casing 13 close to the projections 25 and on the opposite sides from the ports 38. Located in the end plate 19 of the compressor 12 are pressure ports 50,

these ports communicating with a pressure.

manifold 51 which is provided with a'check valve 52 held in place by a compression spring 53, the check valve being so arranged as to prevent any transmission of pressure from the manifold 51 to the interior of the cylindrical opening 15. rlfhe -manifolds 51 and 39 may be connected directly by a crossover manifold 54, this manifold having a considerable internal area so as to provide a space for the storage of the compressed air.

Auxiliary compressed air storage means may, of course, be supplied if desired. lntake ports 55 are provided in the end plates v19, ports 55 and the ports 50 being located on opposite sides df the gate valves 27.

rlhe method of operation of my invention is as follows:

Power being applied to the shaft 36 by any convenient means, the rotor 16 is turned in the direction of the arrows shown in the various figures, the pistons 23 of the engine 11 and the compressor -12 moving in the annular space between the rotor 16 and the mner surface ofthe casing 13, the pistons .23 making a tight joint .inside the casing. Air is taken into the compressor 12 through the intake ports 55, this air being compressed between the pistons 23 and the` gate valves 27 of the compressor, the compressed air being ejected through the pressure ports 56 into they crossover manifold 54, the check valves 52 serving to prevent any return of the compressed air from the pressure manifold 51' to the space inside the casing 13. The gate valves 26 and 27 are lifted and lowered" by means of the cams 31, va tight closure being maintained with g the outer surface of the rotor 16. The .gate valves 26 and 27 are so actuated by the cams that from the crossover manifold 54 is conducted through the intake valves 40 to the nipple 38. This nipplev is fixed in the end plate 17 which is rigidly secured to the casing 13, inside of which the rotor 16 revolves.

Compressed air from the nipple 38 is admitted to the space between the piston 23 and the gateA valve 26 through one of the intake ports 22, this intake port being formed in the end of the rotor and registering with the intake lport 37 which is after the piston 23 has passed the gate valve 26 and the gate valve 26/has been lowered to its seat. This compressed air fills the space between the piston 23 and the gate valve 26 during the instant that the ports 22 and 37 register with each other, and` a further movement of the rotor 16 throws these ports 'out of alinement so that the supply of compressed air is cut oif. Fuel is then injected into they compressed air through a fuel injection pipe 42, so that an explosive mixture is formed between the gate valve 26 and the piston 23. This' explosive mixture may be arranged to burn slowly, due to the compressed air being quite hot and under heavyv compression, or the explosive mixture may be ignited in the proper instant by means of g high tension electrical discharge supplied to the spark plugs 45 by the distributer 46.

lt will be noted that there are four gate valves 26 and.` three pistons 23 in the engine 11, and that there are a similar number of pistons and gate valves in the compressor` 12. -The result is that there are twelve explosions for each revolution of the rotor 16, and that there are twelve separate compressions for each rotation.

l claim as my invention 1.y A. rotary machine comprising a casing having a cylindrical opening therein; bearings rigidly secured to said 'casing and concentric with the axis thereof; a shaft turning freely in said bearings; a cylindrical rotor rigidly mounted von said shaft, the periphery of said rotor being concentric with the inner surface of said cylindrical opening; end platesrigidly secured to said casing and forming a sliding gas tight joint with said rotor; pistons xed on said rotor, each .piston making a gas tight-joint with said .ate valve is lowered ;u meansfor exerting uid pressure between each of said pistons and a corresponding gate valve; two cams,

llt

each cam being secured to said shaft ,out-

mass/ec 2. A' rotary machine comprising a casing' -Qhaving a cylindrical opening therein; bear-- ings rigidly securedto said casing and concentric with the axis thereof; a shaft turnu ing freely in said bearings; a c lind'ical rotorA rigidlywmounted on said sha the periphery of said rotor being concentric with the inner surfaceof said cylindrical opening; end plates rigidly secured to said casing -andforming a sliding gas tight joint with said rotor; pistons fixed on said'rotor, each piston making .a gas tlghtv joint ywith saidy end .plates andthe inner surface ofsacldv cylindrical opening; gatevalves sliding l radially in said casing, eachjlgate valve 4 a corresponding making a gasffightjoint with the periph@ gate valve is lowered; means for forcing tween said rotorQ-and said casing between a v lof sa-id rotor` and'said end plateswhen said n,

25 d compressed air into.. the working space bepiston .and its corresponding gate valve; n

valve. means for shutting olf the supply ofvcompressed air before said plston has arrived at a point vbelow the next gate' valve; two

outside said end plates, rollers rolling' in` grooves 1n -said cams; roller barsconnecting each roller 1n one cam with a corresponding cams, each cam being secured tosaid shaft rollerfin the'other cam; spring means for l Iforcing said rollers toward saidshaft; and p gate valves with f rods connecting each of said pone` of said rollers.

vf testimony whereof lI. have hereunto44 set my hand at Los. Angel 20th *day of Junefll; i

" "Ms .FLEMNG;

4 y es,(kalifornie,l 

